The present invention relates to a seating unit having a back and a seat operably supported for coordinated movement by a control that also provides a weight-activated function where additional support is provided to a heavy seated user upon recline.
Comfort and style continue to be highly-demanded features in seating. However, industry competitiveness continues to put substantial cost pressures on new designs. Many chair designs use gas or pneumatic springs, however these devices are expensive and can result in warranty problems. Mechanical coil springs are low cost, but are tough to package in a chair design having a sleek profile, and further adjustment of the coil springs can be difficult. It is desirable to provide a chair control design that is highly flexible and adaptable for different functional arrangements, yet that is modernistic in its appearance and mechanism of action. It is also desirable to provide a control that, while novel and non-obvious in its function and appearance, uses known technologies and materials for implementing its structure.
In addition to the above, it is also desirable to provide an underseat control mechanism that is simple to manufacture and assemble, is low cost, and that has a modern, thin, sleek appearance. In many chairs, the underseat control mechanism must have a thin profile, so that it can be integrated into a chair having a sleek, slender, elegant appearance. It is desirable that the underseat control mechanism include the ability to provide weight-activated support upon recline, so that heavier users feel added support upon recline even without adjustment. However, it is also desired to provide an adjustment feature and/or a supplemental adjustable biasing device so that additional back support can be selectively provided upon recline, so as to satisfy preferences of particular users who like more support during recline than most users.
In addition to the above, it is desirable to provide a chair that is optimally designed to use recyclable parts, and that uses components that can be easily separated for recycling and/or repair. Expanded thermoset foam products are not recyclable, and are generally considered to be less favorable to the environment than steel, remeltable thermoplastic, and recyclable or more-natural covering materials. Eliminating thermoset foam would be a significant step toward making a chair 100% recyclable. However, the comfort and cost advantage must be maintained for competitive reasons.
Accordingly, an apparatus solving the aforementioned problems and having the aforementioned advantages is desired.